Safety device.



PA'BNTED JULY 23, 1907.

G. WAGKER.

SAFETY DEVICE.'d PPLIGATIUN FILED JUNE 19,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

EATENTED JULY 23, 15507.

G. G. WAGKER.

SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLIATION Huw :Uma 19,1906.

3 SHEETSSEEET 2.

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QZ 5M u1u/1 1501,

Ho. 361x948. PATBNTED JULY 23,1907.

G. G. WAGKER.

SAFETY DEVICE. PPLIOATION HL'ED JUNE 19,1900.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

@NIT

GEOILGE G.

stradine entre rrr Eaton.

wAoKEE, or NEW Yoan, Assronon or ONE-HALE v'roy GABRIEL L. sonrEssEE, or NEW Yoan, N. Y..

SAFETY DEVICE.

Specification Aof Letters Patent.

Patented July 23', 1907.

To all whom u muy concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE G. Waerme, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State oi New York, nave invented certain new and useful Improvements in -Safety Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ol the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to sal'ety devices for railroad vehicles and trains, Vand has lor an object to provide improved means whereby a moving train or car may be stopped in passing a signal set against the train, which may be disregarded by the person operating the said train or car.

A i'nrther object o1' the invention is to provide improved means whereby the ordinary a-ir brakes ol' a train or car are automatically applied upon passing a semaphore or other block signal set at danger.

.l further object of the invention is to provide improved means whereby when a semaphore or block signal is set at danger, an open circuit is partially closed which is completely closed by the passage of the trainy or-car past the said signal, and further irnproved means whereby the closing of the said circuit releases mechanism for operating the air brakes, the said operation being performed by means of the compressed air itself.

With these and other objects in view', the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings-Figure l is a vertical, sectional view of the improved brake operating device. Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view of the brake operating v device taken on a plane at right angles to the plane of section 1. Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation of the bra-ke operating device and showing diagrammatically the means for connecting the said operating device electrically with the trucks ol the moving car or train, and the means lor establishing a circuit from the semaphore. Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of a conventional car truck showing a conventional shoe adapted to close the circuit and actuate the brake operating device. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of an electric switch with means lor opening the switch 'when the brake operating mechanism is operated.

Fig. G is a diagrammatic view of the throttle valve for a locomotive with means l'or actuating and closing the throttle valve when the brake actuating device is operated. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the scma-phore provided with means for operating the brakes when any part oi the track is ruptured.

v between the bore 25 and Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. In its preferred embodiment, the improved ybrak operating device, forming the subject-matter oithis application, is mounted upon any" convenient and approved form oi' support or bracket, as' the plate 10,.A

which may be secured in'the vehicle or cab of the` locomotive and at any convenient and-"'approved point. vided with an outstanding bracket 11, supporting a valve casing 12, provided with' a valve seat 13, and4 with a pop valve 14y coperating therewith. The valve casing 12 is in communication upon opposite sides with pipes 12z and 12b, lthe latter of which is 'm communication with the train pipe of the air brake system and the former with the atmosphere or anyA approved signal. The valve 14 is provided with a stem 15 extending outwardly through the valve casing 12 and surrounded by a nut 16. The valve 14 is held normally to seat by means oi the spring 17 Surrounding tlie stem 15, below the valve 14, whereby the valve is held in operative contact with the under surface of the seat 13. f

Adjacent the lower end, the plate 10 is pro Above the bracket 11 a member 18 is mounted upon i the plate 10 and provided with a vertically disposedk cylinder 19,1witl1in which a piston 20 is mounted to reciprocate. The piston 20 is provided with a piston rod 21, which extends downwardly through the lower portion of the member 18, and is surrounded by a spring 22, which, bearing against the head 23 of the piston rod provided with an axial bore 29 forming communication the cylinder 19 and closed normally by means oi an caustic washer 30carried upon the lower end of theA piston 28.A ,The piston 28 is provided with a longitudinal bore 31 extending from its upper end adjacent to its lower end, and communicating with a lateral opening 32, whereby communication is established between that portionoi the-bore 25 above and below the piston 28. The piston 2S is held normally to seat upon. the upper end of the plug 26 and to close the opening 29 by means oi the spring 33 bearing uponV piston 28 is provided with an upwardly extending extension or boss 36 forming a valve seat for engagement Aby the said washer 34,'and to close the longitudinal opening 31 when the valve is at the upward limit of its movement. 4

Communicating with the bore 25 above the plug 26 and below the piston 28 is a pipe 37 communicating with a source o compressed air as the main or auxiliary reservoir of the air brake system, whereby air under tension isv constantly applied to the bore 25 below the piston 28. i

Adjacentthe bore 25 a valve chamber 38 is formed, closed by means of the plug 39 and -with a pop valve .40 held normally to seat in the plug 39 by means ofthe solenoid 44 having a freely reciprocating core 45, movable within the central opening -46 of the solenoid. The upper end vot the opening 46 or the solenoid is closed .by means of the fixed core or plug 47 within which is mounted to reciprocate a pin 48, provided with a head 49 extending above the said' plug. vThe plug 27 is preferably provided with spaced ears 50 between which is fulcrumed a-lever 51 having one of its ends, as 52, extending over and vabove the head of the pin 48, and its opposite end 53 extending over and beyond the upper:

extended end of the valve stem 43. v

Upon the side of the member 24 is mounted a detent 54provided with a notch 55 positioned to engage theend 53 of the lever 51 and hold the said end at a lowered4 position. The detent 54 is held in operative engage-f ment with the lever 51 by any approved means as the -Within the member 18 is formed a cylinder 57 with in which is mounted to reciprocate a piston 58 held normally at its lowered position by means of the spring 59, and provided with a pin 60 extending upwardly adjacent to the cam surface 56. The cylinder 57 is in communication with the cylinder 19, by means of the passage 61, and air under tension is supplied at times to the cylinder 19 and through the passage 61 to the cylinder 57, by means of a pipe 62,which is in communication with the source o compressed air, and-the passage of air controlled by a manually operated valve, as shown. v

lhe solenoid 44 is provided with terminal wires 63 and-64 connected, respectively, with binding posts 65 and 66. The binding post 65 is connected as by the wire 67 with ono pole, preferably the negative of the' local battery 68, the other pole of which is connected by means of wire 69 with any convenient portion of the truck structure 70, The truck 70 is provided with a brush or shoe 71, position ed to engage a third rail 72, and'.

preferably disposed at such elevation as to pass freely over all frogs and other track connections, the said third rail 72 being for such purpose set at a higher level than the tread rails. The binding post 66 is connected by means of the wire 73 with the shoe 71, which said shoe is insulated from the structure o the truck 70.

One of the tread rails, as 74, is connected by means o the wire 75 with the contact block 76 mounted in any convenient position upon the structure of the semaphore 77 and the third rail 72 is connected by means of the wire 78 with the contact block 79 adjacent theblo'ck 76'. Upon the semaphore structure is pivoted a switch 80 connected in any convenient manner as by the link 81 with -the semaphore whereby when the semaphore arm is moved to danger position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig, 3, the switch 80 makes contact between the blocks 76 and 79 and closes the circuit.

Leading from the cylinder 19 is a port 82 communicating with the pipe 83, which, in turn, communicates with the cylinder 84, arranged to cut off the power from the motor of the vehicle. The cylinderl 84 is provided with a piston having an outwardly extending piston rod 85 arranged for operating a switch of an electric motor, as shown in Fig. 5, or a throttle valve of a steam motor, as shown in Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 5, the piston rod 85 may extend through the support or back of the switch and be in position to engage an insulated bearing block 86 mounted upon the switch bar 87, so that when air is admitted to the cyl-V inder 19 through'the pipe 37, it also passes through the port 82 andpipe 83, into the cylinder 84 to force the piston rod 85 against the switch and to open the switch. As shown at Fig. 6, the piston rod 85 is provided with a pin 88 engaging a slot 89 in thebar 99, which, at its opposite end, engages the pawl 91 of the throttle valve lever 92 The arrangement, as shown in Fig. 6, is such thatwh n air is admitted through the pipe 37 to the cylinder 19 it passes through the port 82 and pipe 83 to actuate the piston rod 85 and to draw the bar 90 in the direction of the arrow and to close the throttle.

As shown in\Fig. 7 a casing 93 is mounted to embrace the contact blocks 76 and 79 and within the casing is mounted an electro magnet or solenoid 94.- The terminals 95 and 96 oi the solenoid are connected with wires extending along the road-way or with one wire extending along the road-way and with the other terminal grounded in the usual manner to form a closed circuit. The lever or armature 8()IL is held normally in contact with the core of the electro magnet or solenoid 94, and out of engagement with the contact blocks 76 and 79, and in such position that when the semaphore arm f77 is manually thrown to danger the armature -SAOlis forcibly removed thereby from engagement with the core. Within the casing 93 is mounted a lug or bracket 97 upon which is disposed a push spring 98 so arranged that when the circuit is broken and the energy of the electro magnet 94 relieved the spring 98 will raise the endof the armature 80 which was` in contact with the core and depress the opposite end into engagement with the contact blocks 76 and 79 without operating the semaphore arm 77.

The operation of the air brake apparatus is such that when the semaphore arm 77 vis at danger, the switch 8O closes connection between contact blocks 76 and 7 9, whereby the wires 75 and 78, and the rails 72 and 74 are electrically connected. When the vehicle provided with `the apparatus passes over the electrically connected rails, and current is established through the Wires 69 and 73 by way of the truck and through the battery 68 to energize the electro magnetI or solenoid 44.

While in the drawings, the solenoid is shown` it is to be understood that any form 'of electro magnet may be employed. In the,solenoid.iorm the energizing of the solenoid draws the core 45 into thehelix in the usual Well known'manner, andthe said core 45 strikes air by means of the passage 4l, valve chamber 38, and passage 42. ltv will beunderstood that air under pressure being admltted at all times to pipe 37 is introduced thereby into the bore 25 and by means of the passages 3l and 32, the compression upon both side-s of the piston 28 are equalized so that the piston 28 is held to seat by its spring 33 ,with the Washer 30 covering the upper end of the passage 29. The port or passage 3l longitudinally of the cylinder 28 is very small in comparison to the other openings employed, so that when the valve 40 is opened in the manner above described, the compression upon the upper i side of the piston 28 is relieved and the compression upon the lower side raises the piston 28 against the tension of the spring 33. The liiting oi the valve 28 opens communication between the bore 25 and the passage 29, whereby air under tension from the pipe 37 is admitted to the cylinder 19 upon the upper side of the piston 20. lThe admission of compressed air upon the upper side of the piston 2O` forces the said piston and its associated piston rod 21 downwardly into engagement with the upper extremity of the valve stem l5, and thereby depresses and opens the valve 14. The amount of throw or opening in the valve 14 is regulated and controlled by manipulating the nut 16 disposed as shown upon the upper extremity of the valve casing, and whereby the said valve is opened to permit the passage of air through and from the air brake system, as indicated by the arrows. When air is admitted to the cylinder 19 through the port or opening 29, it is also admitted through the port 82 and pipe 83 to the mechanism for turning off the power, as heretofore described.

For returning the several parts to their normal position and for a subsequent operation, air is'admitted under pressure from any convenient source through the pipe 62 into the cylinder 19 beneath the piston 20, such passage controlled by any approved valve shown conventionally at 621. The air admitted to the cylinder 19 also passes through the port 6l into the cylinder 57 beneath the piston 58, whereby the piston is raised against the tension ot' the spring 59. The raising of the piston 58. alsoraises the pin 60 so that the said pin contacts with the inclined cam surface 56 of the detent 54 and forces the said detent out of contact with the end 53 with the lever 51 and also forces the lever 51 t0 normal position. The end 53 being released from Contact with the valve stem 43, the said pin and the valve 40 are' raised to normal position by the valve spring, whereby.

communication is interrupted with the external air and the tension ofthe air admitted through the pipe 62 will ordinarily be drawn from the same source as the air Vadmitted through the pipe 37 and of the same tension and f aided by the tension ofthe spring 22 the air will raise the valve 20 while the air confined above will be forced through the passage 29,. The pressure of the com pressed air through the pipe 37 is again neutralized upon opposite sides of the piston 28 by passage through the ports 31 and 32, and the piston 28 is i'orced to seat by its spring 33. The closing of the passage 29 by thepiston 28 permits the piston 2O to be raised by its spring`22, and the air through the pipe 62 which releases the piston rod 2l from engagement with the valve'stem 15, and

the Valve is closed by its springl' thus interrupting the passage of air from the air brake system in the usual well known manner.

lt is, of course, to be understood, that prior to the resetting of the parts, as above described, the vehicleis passed from contact with the third rail 72 so that the solenoid is no longer excited and the core 45 has fallen by gravity to normal position. It will thus be seen that the arrangement is such that the brakes ot the vehicle or train will not only be applied but the power turned off and the application of the brakes continued until such application is relieved manually by manipulating any convenient valve arrangement connected With the pipe 62, as the valve shown conventionally at 62SL and that the resetting of the parts is entirely automatic upon the application of compressed air through the said p ipe 62, .as described. The valve for controlling the pipe 62 may be located at any convenient point and in any convenient manner, as in a locomotive cab or convenient to the hand of the motorman, or the said pipe may be controlled from the engineers valve or in any approved and eonvenientmanner so that air is adl mitted intentionally and manually to the said pipe.

While the manner of making a contact has been heretofore described as the third rail 72, and contact shoe 71, it is obvious that any of the usual, ordinary and well known means for making ruiming contact may be substituted and employed instead of the shoe and third rail.

1. In a device of the class described, n valve communicating with an air brake system, a valve stem connected with said valve, a plunger arranged to contact wit-h the valve stem and open the valve, a piston connected with and to operate the plunger, a duet arranged for communication with the piston and to carry a fluid under pressure, electrically controlled means for opening.communication between the duct and the piston, and means whereby the electrical means is energized when passing a signal set at danger.

2. In a device of the class described, a valve arranged to l control the flow of fluid in an air brake system, a cylinder mounted adjacent the valve, n piston mounted Within the cylinder, a plunger arranged to he operated by the pistou andto contact with the stem and open the valve, a diret arranged for communication with the cylinder. and for communication with a source of fluid under pressure, a valve arranged for closing communication between the duct and the cylinder, electrically controlled means for opening the valve, and establishing' communication between the duct and tle cylinder, and means for energizing the electrical means.

3. In a device of the classdescribed. a valve arranged to control the flow of fluid in an air brake system, a cylinder adjacent the valve, a piston mounted Within the cylinder. means operated by the piston for opening theyalvc. a duct arranged for communication with the cylinder, and with a port. and means for energizing the electrical means.

4. In a device of the class described, a valve arranged to control the flow of iiuid in an air brake system, a cylinder mounted adjacent the valve, a piston mounted to reciprocate in the cylinder, 4means whereby the reciprocation of the piston opens the valve, a duct arranged for communicationwith the cylinder, and ior communication with a source of fluid under pressure, a valve arranged to close communication between the vduct and the cylinder, and,

provided with an opening whereby the pressure upon opposite sides of the valve is balanced, resilient means for holding the valve normally to seat and to close communication between the conductor and cylinder, a port arranged to relieve the pressure upon one side of the balanced valve and to`destroy the balance, a valve arranged to close the port, electrical means for opening the lastmentioned valve, means for retaining the said valve in open position, means for energizing the electrical means, and means whereby the parts are released and returned to normal 'position by the admission of fluid under pressure manually controlled.

5. In a device of the class described, a valve arranged to control the now of fluid in an air brake system, a cylinder adjacent the valve, a piston mounted to reciprocate within the cylinder and to actuate the valve, a balanced valve under fluid pressure arranged to control the flow of fluid into the cylinder, electrically controlled means to relieve the fluid tension upon one side of and to open the balanced valve, and to admit duid to the cylinder, and means in communication with the cylinder arranged to actuate the power controlling mechanism.

(i. In a device of the class described, a valve arranged to control `the flow of iiuid in an air brake system. a cylinder disposed adjacent the valve, a piston mounted to reciprocate within the cylinder, a balanced valve under fluid pressure arranged to control the passage ot' iiuid to thecylinder, means to relieve the fluid tension upon one side of and to open the balanced valve, means for retaining the parts in position relieving; the tension, a piston arranged to disengage the retaining members, means to admit fluid under tension to the cylinder to return the piston to norinal position, and means whereby the iluid admitted to the cylinder actuates the releasing,` piston.

T. In a device of the class described, a valve arranged to control the liow of fluid in an air brake system, a cylinder adjacent the valve, a piston mounted to reciprocate within the cylinder, a balanced valve under fluid tension arranged to control the iiow of uid to the cylinder, a pop valve arranged to release the tension upon one side of and open the balanced valve, a lever arranged to control the pop valve, electrical means arranged to actuate the lever, means whereby the electrical means is energized upon passing a signal set at danger, means arranged to engage the lever and retain the pop valve in open position, means to admit [luid under tension to return the piston to normal position, and means whereby the admission of fluid to the cylinder releases the lever and permits the pop valve to close.

8. in a/,device of the class described, a valve arranged to control the flow of iiuid in an air brake system, a cylinder mounted adjacent the valve, a piston mounted to reciprocate in the cylinder, a balanced valve under similar fluid tension upon both sides and arranged to control the iiow ot' fluid into the cylinder, a pop valve arranged to open communication with the atmosphere and release the tension upon one side of and to open the balanced valve, a lever arranged to actuate the pop valve, electrical means for actuating the lever, means whereby the electrical device is energized upon 'passing a signal set at danger, a latch arranged to engage the lever and hold the pop valve in open position, un auxiliary piston arranged to disengage the latch, means communicating with the cylinder, whereby admission of fluid under tension thereto manipulates a power-controlling device, means for admitting fluid under tension to the cylinder to return the piston to normal position, and to actuate the auxiliary piston.

In testimony whereof I aiix ary-signature in presence ot two' Witnesses.

GEORGE G. WACkER.

Witnesseslrf` llt'oo Moon'. Gaumen L. Sci-unserm. 

